The present invention relates to a method of making alumina fibers having continuous tubular inclusions of ceramic material, which impart improved strength and ionic conductivity at high temperatures.
It is well known that beta-aluminas possess the property of ion conductivity. Beta-aluminas have long been used as solid electrolytes in sodium-sulfur batteries. We have discovered a method for preparing alumina fibers with a continuous inclusion of material having ionic conductivity, such that the conductive inclusion is insulated from the surrounding environment.
One object of the present invention is to produce continuous tubular inclusions of ceramic material in an alumina fiber so that the resulting fiber is useful as a mechanically stable high-temperature sensor for various ionic species, or as ionic conductors or fiber optic waveguides.
This and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.